Bulgaria’s annual consumer price index (CPI) recorded four per cent inflation in March, unchanged from a month earlier, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on April 14.
The CPI figure recorded 0.2 per cent inflation in March. Although the statistics body did not say what prompted the recent upward trend in annual inflation, the country’s utilities regulator approved an increase in electricity prices by an average of 8.42 per cent for household consumers starting January 1.
Food prices were 0.6 per cent higher compared to February, while non-food prices fell by 0.1 per cent and services prices were 0.2 per cent lower, NSI said.
Compared to March 2024, food prices were 5.3 per cent higher, while non-food prices were 0.1 per cent down and services prices rose by 6.7 per cent.
The harmonised CPI figure, calculated by NSI for comparison with European Union data, recorded monthly inflation of 0.3 per cent, while the annual harmonised CPI inflation was four per cent, up from 3.9 per cent a month earlier.
Food and beverage prices were 5.5 per cent higher in March, on an annual basis, while the price of utilities and housing rose by 6.4 per cent and transportation costs were one per cent higher compared to the same month of last year. The three categories account for 45.7 per cent of the harmonised CPI basket.